Orb Sceptre Throne/Prologue
Gadrobi Hills Scholar Ebbin wakes up to find his two guards still sleeping. He is in the old burial hills south of Darujhistan and is researching the area, unlike his fellow scholars, convinced that there remains more to be found there. He rouses the guards and after drinking his tea decides to go down the well, the mouth of which is perfectly circular. As he descends into the well, he accidentally drops the lantern that has been providing light. In the darkness, he is able to discern along the edge of the inner wall of the well, lustrous flickerings that are the remnants of wards made by warren magic. Searching for signs of an opening, Ebbin discovers a tunnel along the lips of an inner curved wall that lead into the tunnel. He goes back up to get a source of light. By the light of a candle Ebbin sees that the tunnel which he discovered is closed off due to a rockfall. Darujhistan In his study, Master Baruk is working on a map, when he is startled by Kruppe. Kruppe intimates something regarding hidden mysteries being brought in to light once again. Baruk is worried about the perturbations of the powerful events of late. Kruppe promises to keep a sharp eye out for the events happening around Darujhistan. The Way of sighs is an alley overlooked by the quarters of dancers, where girls gather towards the dusk to receive the admiration of suitors lingering below. A new girl has captivated the interests of the people, a young and brilliant dancer, who has bewitched the awkward son of a noble house Jeshin Lim, cousin to Shardan Lim. Jeshin has vaulted to a seat in the council since the start of his romance. He visits the dancer in her room. She convinces the councillor that they must no longer meet to avoid the gossip of the people, so that Lim can achieve the noble dreams for his city. She asks him to meet a man who shares his great vision, Humble Measure. The girl who has so bewitched the young man is Taya Radok. Monastry south of Mengal Traveller, the legendary swordsman, has retreated to a monastery deep in the coastal mountains south of Mengal. Esten Rul is a master duelist on three continents and has come to test his worth against this fabled Traveller. He enters the monastery, where no one pays any attention to him. An old man is sweeping the floor of the courtyard and Esten asks him where he would find the master, since he wants to challenge him. After the old man asks Esten to fight him as the lowest member to prove his worthiness, Esten is left humbled as the old man defeats him with just a broom. As the duelist leaves the mountains, an acolyte comes to the old man, calling him master and asking him if they will see Rul again. The old man rebukes the acolyte for calling him master and hopes they won't see him again. The old man is Traveller himself. 00